Monthly Archives: August 2009

Kohana Rockin Like Austin is a smooth, dark roast.

O.k., Kohana, NOW we’re talkin. I loved this coffee. The aroma was interesting, just a hint of citrus with a full fruity aroma. First sip was smooth with a definite milk chocolate essence followed by a hint of pepper and orange.

This is a sweet brew in more ways than one. Not quite the sexiness of an Italian roast…more like a Boho poet. Romantic and deep, with flashes of the unexpected. This is a barefoot coffee, one for gazing at sunrises and sunsets, walking barefoot in the park, listening to jazz with your best friend. For me it was a gypsy skirt and leather fringe..

I am giving Kohana Rockin’ Like Austin a 4.5. I loved this coffee and I would buy it again. I would suggest it with a flaky European type pastry and a Rod McKuen paperback….

Image: Marye Audet

Antigua Bella Carmona….Just fun to say, isn’t it?

This is the first coffee that Marc and I tried from Kohana Coffee. The beans have a strong traditional coffee scent, with a very faint but pleasant tobacco aroma. When I smell this particular combination in coffee it reminds me of misty country mornings and percolated coffee.

By the way, if you ever want to make my husband very..very…VERY nervous..just set a cup of coffee on the edge of a laptop while it is on the bed. And look how pathetic my keyboard it..about fifteen  of the keys have worn off and it isn’t even a year old yet. (more…)

I got a care package in yesterday that smelled remarkably like coffee. In fact, I think I’ve caught the UPS guy and the Fed Ex guy AND the postman all huffing the boxes a time or two.  They might want to stop that. If I ever start writing about compost regularly they are sunk.

But this wasn’t compost. It was coffee. Hawaiian coffee from Texas….well not really. Kohana coffee is located in Austn and they use a slow roasting technique that was developed in Hawaii. And…How cute is this package?

Do I need to go over what it is I love about indy roasters again? Here we go…

Reasons You Should Buy from an Independent Roaster

• Small business IS the backbone of the economy in the United States. Not bail outs.
• Small business usually means higher quality…these people depend on their reputation.
• Indy roasters are just nice people.
• You get unique coffees you can’t get at large companies.
• The don’t roast so much coffee at once that half of it is scorched.
• The are passionate about what they do

O.k. so, I have about five coffee samples to try.  How exciting is that?

images:marye audet

Did you have to look twice at that title?

Starbucks has announced that it will raise the prices on some popular drinks like Macchiatos and Fraps and lower the prices on coffee and some latte to continue to try to compete in the new economy driven coffee wars with the likes of McDonalds, Sonic, Panera, and others. You can read the whole article at the NY Times.

For a lot of people this is where the rubber will meet the road. I figure three things will happen: (more…)

Bigelow has a tea plantation in South Carolina. There are tea plantations in Hawaii. Now there soon may be a tea plantation in Washington State.

Tea, which has been grown in Asian countries traditionally seems to be finding its way onto, or maybe INTO American soil. It is an interesting idea, and exciting that tea could be a bit more locally produced and sourced.

You have to wonder what kinds and varieties of flavors you would end up with. Where tea is grown, the soil, and the climate makes a difference in the finished product. Areas like Washington mimic some of the areas where tea is grown.

Anyway, when you see tea in the stores keep in mind that you may soon buying American made tea.

You know, the big question is this..If we shipped American tea to England, would be tax it?

Can you imagine a coffee cup that cools your coffee to the right temperature almost immediately, AND THEN releases the heat back into the beverage slowly so that your coffee stayed the same perfect temperature? HOW COOL IS THAT?

Actually, it isn’t cool at all..it is warm. It may look especially good to me at the moment because I am drinking chilled coffee.

Photo Credit: Fraunhofer IBP via Speigel International

I think the idea is great but the artistic execution could use some work.  The whole story can be found at Speigel International.

image: via Speigel International

Pom sent me some iced tea juice drinks to try so I will be sharing my thoughts about them over the next few days. I am enjoying liquids since my surgery; I have been unable to eat solid foods. Just can’t swallow them. Supposedly this will go away eventually…in the meantime I am sipping as many different things as possible for variety.

I do have to apologize for lack of images. I took the pictures with my camera, then drank the tea and made notes, and then I deleted the images before I uploaded them. I plead post surgery brain drain.

The Pom White Tea and Wildberry is a “light” drink. It has only 35 calories an eight ounce serving, or two servings per bottle. It has to be refrigerated and  you should be able to find it in your refrigerator section.

Although I saw no mention of artificial flavors I got that funny feeling in the back of my neck that I get when I drink things with aspartame or sucralose (etc) in them. Not a full blown headache, but a stiffening of the muscles just where my head and neck meet. If you are concerned read the bottle carefully…I may have missed it being listed as an ingredient.

The flavor was refreshingly tart with the slightly acidic white tea flavor hitting me first, followed by the tart pomegranate and then finishing with the sweet wildberry/blackberry flavor. It was more white tea than juice in flavor, nice and refreshing and light. I thought it would have been great with club soda added to it for fizz and a strawberry tossed in the glass.

This one gets a 3 on the flavor scale. I think I would have liked more intensity in the fruit.

image:sxc

If you haven’t noticed it is August. Hot. Dry with intermittent bouts of humid. It is like the entire summer just collapses on top of  Texas in August.

And no matter how cool you are..you just gotta stay cool. Here is a great way to do it. This iced coffee recipe is worth buying old fashioned soda fountain glasses for. Seriously good. It was a big hit at the tea room.  It calls for 4 oz of espresso. Here is a GREAT place to use that JazzyBird that is still in the freezer.

Mocha Chiller

• 4 oz espresso, chilled
• 3/4 cup  coffee  ice cream
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped cream

1. Blend the espresso, ice, ice cream, and sugar in a blender until smooth.
2. Squirt chocolate syrup around the inside of a tall, frosted glass
3. Pour in the espresso mixture
4. Top with whipped cream and a garnish of grated chocolate or chocolate syrup.

Makes one and I bet you won’t share.

Image:rafragoso, sxc

Last week I read a story about a New Jersey town stopping the tradition of providing free coffee to its city employees. I made no comment about it here because, gee, how can that compete with VA Wheelchair races and  having my thyroid removed?

To tell you the truth, I did not EVEN feel one shred of pity. My boss does not provide me with free coffee.  She expects me to work long hours, take only two days off for surgery, and buy my own coffee. My boss is a pain.

Did I mention that I am self employed?

Anyway...Community Coffee read the plight of these undercaffeinated workers and their hearts were moved to pity. …

You know… seriously..do you think people who work at Community Coffee get free coffee?

So Community Coffee is donating coffee to these workers for one year. Hopefully by then the city can get its finances straightened out and pitch in for the coffee.

I just thought that was a nice thing for them to do. You can read the article at Philly.com

image:MaryeAudet

Need a personal stimulus package?

I have no clue how I missed this. Jim, at Muddy Dog Coffee, and I think a lot alike politically. This is seriously  a nice thing … as I get somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of bloggers that enjoy an alternative political lifestyle.

Anyway, Jim has decided if you cant beat ‘em, join ‘em..at least in this instance and is offering cash for your crappy coffee. Get a $2 discount on any of the Muddy Dog cofffees when you trade yours in.. Read all the information at Muddy Dog. The Breakfast Blend I tried was  fantastic.

image:marye audet